Walmart+ members get a free Paramount+ subscription. As this is a subscription that’s discounted by another company, actually getting access to free Paramount+ requires a few additional steps compared to signing up to Paramount+ directly.
Walmart+ is similar to Amazon Prime in the sense that it is a membership program that offers free shipping with no order minimum. Similar to Amazon Prime, Walmart+ also offers additional non-store related benefits, including access to streaming services. While Amazon Prime members get free Prime Video, Walmart+ members get free Paramount+.
Existing Walmart+ members will need to claim and set up their free Paramount+ subscription before they can access the streaming service. To do this, head over to the Walmart+ website, log in, and then click on Account. Once in the account section, select Paramount+(under Video Streaming). The Walmart customer will be redirected to the Paramount+ website where they will then need to sign up and create the account which will be used to access Paramount+ in the future.
Instructions recap:
- Visit Walmart+ website
- Sign in
- Click on Account
- Scroll down to Video Streaming
- Select Paramount+
- Sign up for a Paramount+ account
Once done, the Walmart+ customer will have unlimited access to Paramount+. If the new subscriber has never used Paramount+ before, the app will need to be downloaded on a supported device, as it is not possible to watch Paramount+ shows and movies through the Walmart website or app.
It is worth being aware that Walmart only offers a free Essential subscription. Paramount+ offers two different plans – Essential and Premium – with the main differences being the Premium plan is an ad-free subscription and includes access to a subscriber’s local live CBS station. For those signing up to Paramount+ through Walmart+, there’s currently no option to upgrade to the ad-free plan or to bundle Essential with Showtime.
What existing Paramount+ subscribers need to know
If already signed up to Paramount+, it is still possible to take advantage of the free subscription through Walmart+. However, this does require the subscriber to cancel their existing Paramount+ subscription and then sign up again by clicking on the link within their Walmart+ account.
Existing subscribers will also need to wait until their current billing cycle comes to an end before seeing the change to their new, free subscription. While this probably won’t be much of an issue for those signed up to a monthly plan, annual subscribers may find they have to wait some time for their existing subscription to end. If using an alternate email address to create the new subscription through Walmart+, then existing subscribers will need to sign out of Paramount+ on all of their devices before logging back in with their updated account details.
If an existing Paramount+ subscriber is currently signed up to Premium, they will lose access to their ad-free and local CBS benefits. Likewise, if an existing subscriber has already bundled their subscription with Showtime, they will lose access to Showtime. Put simply, switching to the subscription through Walmart will result in a switch to the Essential plan.
What new Walmart+ subscribers need to know
If new to both Walmart+ and Paramount+, it is possible to simply sign up for Walmart+ and take advantage of the free subscription. Walmart+ costs $12.95 a month and there is also the option to sign up to an annual plan. Priced at $98 a year, the annual plan breaks down to around $8.16 per month.
Walmart also offers a 30-day free trial, so it is possible to check the membership program out before having to pay. In addition, those on a free trial are still able to take advantage of the free Paramount+ subscription. However, if they don’t continue with Walmart+ after the free trial ends, they will also lose access to their free Paramount+ subscription.
Regardless of whether signing up to the monthly or annual Walmart+ plan, customers get access to the Essential Paramount+ plan. Considering Essential only costs $7.99 a month (or $79.99 per year when signing up to the annual plan), it is only worth signing up to Walmart+ if the other Walmart benefits are useful.
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